For some reason, the break-up between Emily Maynard and Jef Holm tugs at your heart strings just a little more than the other Bachelor & Bachelorette couples. Emily was so wholesome and Jef was so sincere. But just as quickly as they fell in love, they completely fell apart.

For weeks they played us for fools as they denied rumors of their downfall. I'm sure many of us were hoping the rumors were just that ... rumors.

Well I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news -- but today, Emily and Jef both released separate official statements confirming their split. And let me tell you, it's absolutely heartbreaking.

What we shared was completely genuine and real and it breaks my heart but we have decided to break up. Emily and I are great friends and I hope we can continue to be friends forever. Everyone wants a salacious story to break, but the truth is we are just two people who fell in love and tried our hardest to make it work. I will always love her.

Wow. You really have to feel bad for this guy. He absolutely adored her. Poor Jef!

I am sorry to tell you that Jef and I have, indeed, parted ways. It was a very difficult and heartbreaking decision. I have no regrets because I did find love and shared an incredible journey with a really special person -- and you know what, we tried our best because the love between us was so real. I have nothing but respect and love for Jef and his family, but ultimately we are just at different points in our lives.

I'm sorry, but shouldn't you have sorted out the "point in your life" before you agreed to marry the man? That's the part I'll never understand. And I blame Emily more than Jef because she's been through this process more than once. This is the second proposal she accepted without thinking things through. This is marriage, people. This isn't just agreeing to date for another few weeks.

Maybe the show should change its process altogether. I mean, think about it, these couples are thrown in romantic settings on tropical islands -- with everything they could ever want at their fingertips. THAT IS NOT REAL LIFE. Did Emily and Jef walk into their bedroom when they got back to the "real world" and question why there weren't rose petals on the bed and a bottle of champagne waiting for them in the bathtub?

Perhaps if these couples actually went through good times AND bad times before getting engaged, they'd be able to last more than a few months. Just a thought.